Spare Parts and Tools

Knowing what to take on a trip must firstly begin with specific requirements to keep your vehicle running and how to conduct roadside service if the vehicle breaks down. If you are driving a 4WD vehicle then this means you need additional gear such as recovery equipment, and since mechanical breakdown in a remote area could mean certain death for the vehicle occupants, you must be able to conduct basic bush maintence and have the tools and spare parts to get the vehicle moving again.

Article By: ExplorOz Team

Created: June 2008Revised: November 2006Latest Feedback: February 2014

Packing

Based on where you're going, how long and with how many passengers you may find that packing space becomes a premium and careful consideration must be given to how and where it will all fit (and to deciding if an item is a "need" or a "want"). Often you will need to consider the convenience of taking a trailer or of at least adding a roof rack to your vehicle setup.

Spare Parts

The point of taking spares is to carry the items that will enable you to keep driving ie. what will stop your vehicle from moving if it breaks due to a mechanical or physical problem eg. bearings, springs, flat tyre.

The list of spare parts you choose to take on a trip will depend on your assessment of risk vs packing space. Start by checking your vehicle service manual (sometimes difficult to obtain if you've purchased second-hand but worth the expense) and look at every spare item listed.

Even if you don't know how to perform the repair, at least if you have the parts with you someone who stops to help you might. Many townships cannot hope to keep stock every spare part for each vehicle type. To order and wait for parts to arrive in remote parts of the country are not only expensive and slow, but a waste of precious travelling time. It could really ruin your trip if you can't move on.

Shock absorbers - optional. They don't stop the car and are readily available but driving without one shock is not only uncomfortable it can put such undue force on the other shocks that they are all likely to fail. Also fitting a mismatching length shock absorber on one side of the vehicle will do no good. May as well carry one or two if you have the space.

Tools

Someone in the vehicle (driver or passenger) should be capable of making basic repairs and performing recoveries but you need to have some tools. This list of tools is far from exhaustive but all vehicles taken into the outback, or anywhere where the Road Service help cannot be reached should have all these items packed into it permanently.

Practical Extras

Most experienced travellers will be able to add to this list a heap of other useful and practical items that they have come to find useful.

The following is such a list that works well for the ExplorOz Team - we find the whole lot mandatory, but we tend to opt for bush camps so therefore we must be totally self-reliant. A lot of it depends on how much bush camping and independence you require.

Full size or 3/4 axe for chopping wood (chain saw not necessary)

Various heads for mattock, pick

Jumper leads

"Poo" spade (additional to the long handled spade in the recovery gear checklist)

Solar panels (optional)

Generator (optional). Note, generators require either 2 stroke or petrol which may need to be carried separately and will take up room. Generators are not allowed to be run in the camping area of any National Park. Some, will provide a generator area for running up batteries etc.